The Replacement Girlfriend

Chapter 57

57. When The Truth Is Scarier

            “Okay, so what about you and LaCienega?”

            Chase did a small facepalm as he released an inaudible groan. How could Jace be so thick? It was obviously a serious matter, and the way the conversation had led up to it was more than evident that Chase had committed a sin towards him. Yet, Jace’s voice was as chirpy as a kindergarten teacher, as if somewhere in his mind he thought that Chase and LaCienega were planning a party of some kind and that was what it was all ‘about.’

            He didn’t know how to explain it, and when Jace’s smiling, attentive expression got to be too much, Chase lowered his gaze to the grass on the creek-side. “Do you remember that one night?” He started, without thinking how to articulate his words or polishing it to make it sound more refined. “Like a month ago? It was LaCienega’s birthday, ya?”

            Jace gave him a nod when Chase looked up, but despite his intelligence, remained oblivious to where the conversation was headed like some kind of bobble-head on a dashboard just nodding for the sake of nodding. “You’re talking about the night I couldn’t spend her birthday with her correct? Ah… that wasn’t a pleasant night for her I gather, but…” He turned to Chase and gave him an affectionate pat on the shoulder, followed by a soft squeeze. “I’m glad you were there for her, Chase. I really appreciate what you did that night.”

            “You shouldn’t. No, don’t look at me like that. I mean you really shouldn’t. Me going over there that night… that was a bad choice Jace and a big mistake. I… We… I screwed up. I didn’t go over there that night and do any of the things you meant for me to do, to celebrate with her, to take her out for dinner, none of that. She was drunk, and I was… I don’t know, out of my mind and I had no idea what I was doing, but I took her into your room, and I fucked her there. And I… even after, fuck I don’t know.” Chase buried his face into his hands but the sinking feeling like he was slowly drowning himself didn’t leave him. “Even after… Even after Jace, a part of me badly wished that I could, somehow, persuade her to leave you. I’m sorry Jace. Fuck. I’m such a bastard.”

            Having used all of his courage admitting to his crime, Chase didn’t have any left to summon the strength to look into Jace’s eyes. He couldn’t even raise his head and kept his own face buried into his palms, listening to the surrounding as if it would give away Jace’s feelings.

            There was nothing. Jace was silent, and all Chase could hear was the soft rush of the creek’s current and the cornfields in the distance swaying and rubbing against each other due to the wind’s breeze. Unlike the feeling he thought he would receive, Chase felt ten times heavier than he did before he told the truth. It was as if he was playing a game on his PlayStation, but because of his arrogance, didn’t bother to save during the last saving point and now he was screwed. He had no way of knowing if it was the correct choice to tell Jace and if it wasn’t, if telling him this would destroy their lifelong friendship, Chase had no way of starting over from a previous point.

            When at long last the realization had sunk in and Jace gave a reaction, it wasn’t a punch that sailed through the air, or a long chain of angry cusses like Chase had expected. The response came in the form of a long exasperated sigh before Jace made a comment. “Well at least you told me.”